1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for filling liquids, by which a container is filled with a drink liquid such as a carbonic acid drink or the like in a pressurized liquid-storage tank through a filling valve.
2. Prior Art
Description will now be made of a prior art apparatus for filling liquids, with reference to FIG. 2, in which reference numeral (01) denotes a liquid-storage tank (main liquid tank) storing therein a carbonic acid drink liquid with which a container (06) is to be filled, and the liquid-storage tank (01) is under an internal pressure of approx 5 kg/cm.sup.2. The liquid-storage tank (01) consists of a gas phase pressure chamber (08) and a liquid phase section (09), and the pressure in the gas phase chamber (08) and the liquid level in the liquid phase section (09) are controlled by a known control means. Reference numeral (02) denotes a filling valve communicating with the liquid phase section (09) in the liquid-storage tank (01), reference numeral (03) denotes another filling valve (a counter valve) communicating with the gas phase pressure chamber (08) in the liquid-storage tank (01), reference numeral (04) denotes a filling nozzle extending from filling valve (02), reference numeral (06) denotes the container such as a bottle, can or the like, reference numeral (07) denotes a pressurized gas supply pipe extending from the filling valve (03), reference numeral (05) denotes a seal member fixed to the filling nozzle (04) and the gas supply pipe (07), and reference numeral (010) denotes a container stand provided with an elavating mechanism such as an air cylinder or the like. By the action of the container stand (010), the container (06) is supplied to a position beneath the filling nozzle (04) and is elevated to insert the filling nozzle (04) and the pressure gas supply pipe (07) into the container (06), while an opening of the container (06) is closed in an airtight manner the seal member (05). Subsequently the filling valve (03) is opened to supply the pressurized gas (pressurized air, carbonic acid gas or the like) in the liquid-storage tank (01) to the container (06) via the filling valve (03) and the gas supply pipe (07), whereby the interior of the liquid-storage tank (01) and the interior of the container (06) are maintained at the same pressure, for example at a pressure of 5 kg/cm.sup.2 G. Then, by opening the filling valve (02), carbonic acid drink liquid in the liquid-storage tank (01) is supplied into the container (06) via the filling valve (02) and the filling nozzle (04). At this time, the seal member (05) prevents the pressurized gas, which is being supplied into the container (06), from leaking to the exterior. When the filling is completed, the pressure in the container (06) is reduced by a means not shown to atmospheric pressure, and subsequently the container stand (010) is moved down to release the container (06) from the seal member (05), the filling nozzle (04) and the gas supply pipe (07).
In the conventional apparatus for filling liquids shown in FIG. 2, by the container stand (010) provided with the elevation mechanism, the container (06) is moved upward to the filling position, the filling nozzle (04) and the gas supply pipe (07) are inserted into the container (06), the opening of the container (06) is closed in an airtight manner by the seal member, and then the pressurized gas (pressurized air, carbonic acid gas or the like) is supplied into the container (06). Therefore, unless the container stand (010) has an upward force F resisting the pressure of pressurized gas, the container stand (010) and the container (06) will move downward, with a gap being caused between the seal member (05) and the opening of the container (06), whereby the pressurized gas in the container (06) leaks to the exterior. In other words, it is impossible to maintain the same pressure both in the container (06) and the liquid-storage tank (01), and therefore there is caused an inconvenience such as foaming or the like at the time of the process for filling the carbonic acid liquid which is performed subsequently to the above process of filling the pressurized gas.
In case of the container being a bottle, the upward force F of the container stand (010) is 60 kg. However, in case of the container being a 100 mm diameter can, the upward force F of the container stand (010) becomes approx. 300 kg at a gas pressure of 4 kg/cm.sup.2, and it is difficult to apply an upward force of approx. 300 kg to the container stand (010). Further, the upward force F is applied to the seal member (05), whereby a high strength is required for the filling nozzle (04) and the pressurized gas supply pipe (07), and thus such elements have to be constructed very strongly.
The supply of pressurized gas into the container (06) means that high strength is required of the container (06). That is to say, there were problems of causing breaking in case of container (06) being a bottle and of causing deformation in case of container (06) being a synthetic resin container or the like.